13. Confusion Over Toman and Rial
The currency in Iran might throw you for a loop. The official currency of the country is the Rial, though prices or bills are often listed by Toman price. It’s a pretty simple conversion, though. Basically, ten Rial add up to one Toman. When your average dinner bill can get over two or three hundred thousand Rial, it’s just easier to break it down by eliminating a zero.
14. Cutting Ties
If you’re on a business trip to Iran, you might want to leave the suit and tie at home. There’s no written law against them, but there is an official guideline not to wear these symbols of Western business. As a foreigner, you might get away with it, but why push it?
15. The Hair Cut Rule
Iran’s Cultural Ministry in 2010 published a list of approved hairstyles to eliminate “decadent” Western hairstyles like ponytails, mullets, and spiky ‘dos. Men and women alike are subject to very strict rules about personal expression. Having any kind of weird or unorthodox haircut (God knows where that spectrum starts) is strictly outlawed, tattoos are banned, makeup is outlawed entirely for men, and too much makeup can get a woman in trouble.
